In preparing pelts from e.g. mink or fox, the pelts are after skinning of the animal and a cleaning of the leather side of the pelt stretched out on a pelt board with the leather side facing the board for drying of the pelt. Formerly, the pelts were fixated by means of staplers penetrating the pelt and anchoring into the pelt board, more recently the pelts are secured by means of a sleeve or by means of winding material applied to the fur side of the pelt.
The price of a pelt is established from a number of features, including the final length of the dried pelt from the nose to the beginning of the tail. The pelts are classified in sizes according to the length in classes, which at least for mink have 6 centimeters interval. Thus, by stretching a pelt sufficiently to reach a higher size before it is fastened to the pelt board, the value of the pelt may be increased, however with the risk of reducing the value due to overstretching or damages to the pelt.
Danish patent No. DK 169 525 discloses a machine for stretching of pelts on pelt boards, where a first stretch force is applied to stretch the pelt and, in case it is detected that the pelt length is close to the next higher classification size, a second, higher stretch force is applied to the pelt.
International patent application No. WO 02/44428 discloses a further development of this machine by adding a vibrating movement to the pelt during the stretching thereof, whereby an increased stretching of the pelt is achieved without causing damages to the pelt.
In the international patent application No. WO 2005/028682 a device for stretching of pelts is disclosed, where holding elements are provided to grip, engage and fasten the pelt along the whole periphery of the lower end of the pelt, thereby applying the stretch force more uniformly to the pelt and allowing for an increased stretching thereof. The pelt is secured in the stretched position by means of a sleeve drawn over the fur side of the pelt from a tip of the pelt board, i.e. from the nose end of the pelt.
In the international patent application No. WO 2005/080607 the pelt is secured to the pelt board after stretching of the pelt by means of a winding material, such as a band, which is wound around the lower end part of the pelt, i.e. near the tail part.